Ask any Pennsylvania Hospital employee to describe their workplace, and odds are high that the word “family” will come up. This sentiment isn’t just common among current staff; even former employees like Denair (“Dee”) Milliner still feel a strong connection to PAH.
Her 41-year career at PAH began when she became a phlebotomist at the Institute of the Pennsylvania Hospital in 1970, which provided inpatient psychiatric care until its closure in 1997. Though there were some challenging experiences at the Institute (“Some patients didn’t want a Black woman drawing their blood,” she said. “But after they found out I was gifted with a wonderful touch, I was requested!”), she also met her first husband and forged lifelong friendships.
In 1995, Milliner moved to the main hospital to work with the midwives. She later took on administrative duties for the Food & Nutrition team, then finished her Pennsy career in 2011 while working with the OB/GYN team. She vividly recalls bringing her children in for Take Your Kids to Work Day and celebrating the retirement of longtime administrator H. Robert Cathcart: “We all wore colonial dress, and it was the hottest day ever. The icing was melting off the cake!”
And Milliner doesn’t have to look at old photos for memories of Pennsy to come rushing back — she just has to look at her family. In 1951, she was born in PAH’s Lying-In Hospital (now the Spruce Building), and she gave birth to her own children at PAH — her son in 1978, then her daughter in 1983. Her daughter delivered one of her children at PAH, as well. The latest addition, Namiko, was born to her granddaughter at PAH this past June. Milliner was able to cheer on her great-granddaughter via Facebook Live as she entered the world.
“My granddaughter told me after one of her appointments that she’d seen Peter Gearhart, MD, and I was blown away. When I started working with OB/GYN, Peter was just finishing his residency! It’s amazing,” Milliner said. “Sometimes I remember that I started my career more than 50 years ago. All these years later, I still remember the decency, kindness, and respect of the people who worked at Pennsylvania Hospital. And it’s still such a big part of my life. It really becomes a part of you.”